1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to detecting impairments in a network.
2. Background Art
A conventional network includes nodes that route some form of data between a service provider and customers that subscribe to the service. Often, a network includes many nodes—sometimes hundreds or thousands. In turn, each node in a conventional network may serve hundreds or thousands of customers. Thus, a single malfunctioning node can negatively affect a large number of customers, decreasing customer satisfaction with the service and the service provider.
Service providers often take a reactive approach to detecting impairments in the networks that they maintain and operate. This may be because the service providers do not have the ability to monitor the network equipment—such as nodes—in real-time, and therefore are unaware when equipment in the network begins to malfunction. Consequently, customers themselves must notify the service provider of interruption in their service before the service provider dispatches a technician to troubleshoot the network. This reactive approach can lead to long service outages, again decreasing customer satisfaction.
Thus, a proactive approach to detecting impairments in a network is needed in order to minimize or eliminate service outages caused by malfunctioning network equipment and to increase customer satisfaction.